4E Relating to state government

ARTICLE 1 - AGRICULTURAL POLICY

Establishing a livestock investment grant program, specifying eligibility and process; requiring the commissioner of agriculture pesticide disposal; prohibiting pesticide collection limitations; requiring annual disposal site designation and advertising and periodic residential disposal opportunities with recordkeeping, requiring universal county execution; modifying pesticide application violations to include applications at sites not requested, ordered, permitted or contracted; requiring commissioner allocation from the pesticide regulatory account for collection and disposal; modifying the authority of the commissioner of agriculture for revocation and suspension actions of previously issued registration, permit, license or certifications under certain conditions for pesticide and fertilizer use; modifying agricultural chemical incident provisions by changing certain application requirements for payment of corrective action costs to an eligible person; modifying certain food handler provisions, authorizing the waiving of certain fees and expedited food handler plan review by the commissioner of agriculture in certain declared disaster areas; modifying vending machine fee requirements and defining vending machine; modifying certain egg sales and handling provisions; modifying certain embargo and condemnation provisions to include animals and livestock and defining animals; changing certain food sanitary provisions relating to employment of a diseased person and modifying certain water, plumbing and sewage system prohibitions, increasing the somatic cell count limit for goat milk; prohibiting commissioner deficiency payments to entities no longer producing ethanol on a commercial scale; modifying certain membership requirements for the NextGen energy board and modifying board expiration date (sunset provision); extending the expiration date of the agriculture education leadership council; making technical corrections for bovine tuberculosis prevention; establishing requirements for practicing animal chiropractic care, authorizing licensed chiropractors to engage in the practice of animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment, defining scope of practice, providing for the use of the title of animal chiropractor, providing for provisional practice during promulgation of rules, establishing certain educational criteria for licensure in animal chiropractic diagnosis and treatment, establishing continuing education hours, specifying separate treatment room and equipment use requirements for certain facilities; recognizing the program for the assessment of veterinary education equivalence (PAVE) certification, allowing faculty licensure for university of Minnesota college of veterinary medicine specialty practitioners board certified by the European board of veterinary specialization; modifying the temporary faculty veterinary medical center clinician license and cease and desist orders service, permitting dispensing of human drugs and over the counter drugs for extra label use, specifying conditions; removing the percentage requirement from the ethanol blender definition and from the gasoline blended with ethanol blending standard, establishing a gasoline ethanol blending standard for standard combustion engines, establishing a gasoline ethanol blending standard for alternative fuel vehicles; modifying the definition of biodiesel fuel and increasing the minimum content of biodiesel fuel in diesel fuel, specifying biodiesel content goals, establishing a panel composed of the commissioners of agriculture, commerce and pollution control agency (PCA) and specifying duties, clarifying minimum content exceptions and adding off-road logging equipment and machinery and aircraft vehicles and equipment as exceptions, sunset, requiring the commissioner of agriculture to issue a report annually by a certain date to the legislature regarding the implementation of biodiesel minimum content requirements; requiring expansion of renewable-fuel options to consumers, making conforming amendments; "President Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bill to Preserve Agricultural, Forest, Wildlife and Open Space Land", requiring the board of county commissioners to consider natural heritage data in adopting or amending comprehensive plans, requiring certain counties to consider open space and environment protection goals, requiring great Minnesota counties adopting or updating a comprehensive plan to consider adopting goals and objectives for the preservation of agricultural, forest, wildlife and open space lands and minimizing development in certain sensitive shoreland areas; specifying certain goals and objectives to be considered and certain development goals and objectives; prohibiting the cancellation of the unencumbered balance of a certain prior appropriation for agricultural marketing and development; prohibiting the cancellation of the unencumbered balance of a certain prior appropriation for bioenergy and value added agricultural products; extending an appropriation to the agricultural fertilizer research and education council for agricultural fertilizer research and education program grants; creating the agricultural and open space preservation task force, requiring a report to the legislature by a certain date, sunset provision; requiring the commissioners of finance, commerce and the PCA to develop and submit to the legislature a proposal for eliminating redundant fuel inspections and dedicating petroleum inspection fee revenue to the weights and measures division of the department of commerce and requiring the commissioners of agriculture and commerce to consider and provide recommendations to maximize the performance of biodiesel in cold weather; requiring the commissioners of agriculture, commerce and pollution control agency (PCA) to consult with stakeholders to develop and present recommendation to the NextGen energy board and legislature for biobased diesel alternatives use; requiring the state agricultural society to obtain a certain percentage of the primary license fee for expansion of the recreational camping area license for the family motor coach association event; requiring the DNR commissioner to form a work group with the commissioners of agriculture and health for viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) presence response plan developmentl specifying testing and legislative report requirements; modifying a NextGen commissioner of agriculture appropriation; authorizing the commissioner of agriculture to use up to a certain amount of an appropriation for dairy development and planning for livestock operations assistance in bovine tuberculosis modified accredited zones as federally designated

ARTICLE 2 - VETERANS POLICY

Authorizing the commissioner of public safety to issue special veteran single motorcycle plates to registered motorcycle owners, regulating plate size and permitting plate transfer, appropriating money in the world war II memorial donation match account after state construction costs payment to the commissioner of veterans affairs for veterans and families services and programs; exempting qualified reservist owned businesses from civil court proceedings during active military service; permitting active service personnel promotion by brevet upon injury or death; prohibiting employer discrimination against families of service members; transferring the functions of the veterans homes board of directors to the commissioner of veterans affairs; creating the veterans health care advisory council to provide the department of veterans affairs with advice and recommendations on providing veterans with quality long term care, specifying membership and duties, sunset provision; modifying and clarifying certain provisions relating to state veterans cemeteries, modifying certain eligibility and burial fees requirements; specifying certain duties of the commissioner of veterans affairs relating to plot allowance claims; prohibiting cemetery staff hiring without legislative approval; modifying the Minnesota GI bill program by changing the cost of attendance and the definition of veteran, extending eligible institution to certain graduates schools; requiring completion and submission of the free federal application for federal student aid (FAFSA), clarifying the part-time student load standard and specifying a minimum award per term for undergraduate and graduate students; transferring administrative rules responsibility from the veterans homes board of directors to the commissioner of veterans affairs and authorizing enforcement, amendatory and repeal rulemaking; authorizing the governor to make the initial appointments to the veterans health care advisory council and requiring the ombudsman for residents and family members of residents at the Minneapolis Veterans' Home to attend meetings; transferring veterans cemetery trust account funds to the permanent development and maintenance account in the special revenue fund; transferring money in the veterans cemetery account to the permanent development and maintenance account; requiring the commissioner of veterans affairs to evaluate the status of and need for additional veterans cemeteries in the state; requiring the commissioner of veterans affairs to seek input for partnering in delivery of veterans services; requiring a legislative report from the department of veterans affairs strategic planning group by a certain date on recommendations for the Minneapolis veterans home; requiring the commissioner to continue to plan and develop federal funding and other resources for construction projects on the project priority listing; prescribing membership, duties and administration for the county veterans services working group; requiring a study of veterans employment in state government by executive branch appointing authorities and requiring a legislative report; appropriating money to the commissioner of veterans affairs for armed forces World War II commemorative medallions; specifying instructions to the revisor of statutes for the veterans homes board of directors transfer; repealing the state Persian Gulf war ribbon and the veterans cemetery permanent trust account and allocation of plots and repealing the veterans homes board of directors and associated powers and duties
(Ch. 297, 2008)